I’ve just been reading comms on here re. Eurotunnel prices from last year and the year before and they were really cheap. I must be looking in the wrong place (for example, http://www.ferryoffers.co.uk/) as the return price for a bike ranges from 70ish quid to 88ish quid, depending on date out/length of stay, etc. Anywhere for advance booking at really cheap prices, or are those days over? Any suggestions appreciated. This is to be my first trip to EU on a bike and I 've read so many scare stories re. slipping on soapy wet access ramps to having the bike ratcheted to a lorry, etc. that I thought I’d look at the Tunnel…
Ill be honest with you i would now chose the train over the boat anytime, last year i had a 08 plate bandit650, picked it up on wednesday was over the channel on it by the weekend running it in, took the ferry and they used a rachet strap and put me where the lorry straps go which i thought ewas wrong in my eyes but the know better.
Coming back i wanted to get a eariler boat they charge me an extra 31 pounds saying it was full but they could squeeze me on, as I was cold I payed it and went aboard this time they used the ] [ bars that are in bold to the left rather than the X X section that they strap the lorrys to, Glad they did as the sea was so rough coming back otherwise my brand new bike would have ended up on the floor.
So now i use the tunnel over the boat anytime
Prices for the boat at the time were 20 pound return ended up paying 51 pounds return with a **** cafe on the return why i was waiting for the ferry on the way back boy it was freezing…
Prices for the tunnel was 26 pounds return but i took the ferry as there was no train that i could get on till 5.15am in the morning, mind you i did leave leciester square when it started to snow at about 1am and went down the A2 all the way with it sleeting and then boarded a ferry to brugee…lol. And that was about 3am in the morning
By the way they were day prices
Cheers for that mate. That settles it. Def gonna use the tunnel then. lol. Managed to find the Eurotunnel fare site and the cheapest for what I need (August, 10 day stay) is 26 quid out and 28 quid back, travelling around midnight. This stacks up pretty well given the benefits of the tunnel. I did try a test by asking for a next day return this month and it’s about the same - so maybe the really cheap fares have gone now - if anyone reads this and knows better, though, do let me know. Only done that sleet and snow thing once, by accident, never again - effing terrified me and I was so cold on the m/way I nearly pulled over to die and end the suffering… H
plus the tuneel is ony 35 mins unlike the boat which is an hour and a half…lol
Also you dont have to travel that extra half hour to the ferry
Down side is you dont get a comfy seat on the crossing…lol
i definately want to get to france this year, never taken the bike. I get sick in the bath if its too deep so its a no brainer to me…
I’ve never trusted the strap things ive seen, dont know other peoples experiences but if i came back to find my bike on its side or under a lorry someone would die a slow death…
well why not come to france on the may day holiday
link ius in rideout section
cheers ginger, i saw that, i may be working, so cant say for certain yet, which is abit of a pain…
well if you can make it im sure we can squeeze you in a tent
I hate the tunnel but I keep using it again and again. Christmas time we had a 5 hour delay going out stuck on the ramp of the train and coming back in January we had a four hour delay. Crap customer services and when it goes wrong they have no clue how to make it right…But when they do get it right its sweet as F and a pleasure to use.
I waited on the tarmac at the ferry port in Calais for hours coming back from the LeMans MotoGP a couple of years ago. The sea was so rough they weren’t taking bikes on the ferries. Eventually after a bit of a protest from all the bikers waiting we were all escorted out and put on the train. (I even beat my mates back who had got on an earlier ferry, as the sea was so rough they couldn’t dock.) I thought the train worked so well that ever since, I will always use the train if I can.
If you have Tesco clubcard vouchers £10 in vouchers are worth £40 on the le shuttle tickets, but you have to jump through a few worthwhile hoops to use them.
That was a nice tip mate, ta. I didn’t know about that at all. Just checked out the Tesco site and yep, 4 x the value of the vouchers, as u say, a few hoops and regs but worth it. Might even get across a couple of times now then…
I must say i have used most of the cross channel ferry services over the last 2 years, and have not been disappointed with any of them. I was kinda worried at first by the system used by the, sadly now defunct, Speedferries. They used like cradle that you drove onto with brackets that clamped onto the front and back wheels, therefore disposing of the need for rachet straps. Even in very choppy seas they seemed to held strong.
Overall in the 17 or 18 crossings I have done in the last two years or so, i’ve never had any problems, and have mainly steered away from the tunnel because of the prices. Having said that, nice tip about the Tesco Vouchers, i shall be looking into those with interest.